Video: Officer fatally shoots stick-wielding man

Police said the suspect approached the officer and refused his commands to drop the stick

By PoliceOne Staff

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Surveillance video shows the moments leading up to a fatal shooting of a man who police said aggressively approached an officer waving a stick.

Video obtained by the Alaska Dispatch shows Anchorage Officer Boaz Gionson respond to a call June 9 in Mountain View that began with a report of a man who yelled at passing cars and attacked a dog with a large stick. In the audio, a 911 caller describes the scene and is told by dispatchers to return home to safety.

Police said Shane Tasi, 26, approached the officer and refused his commands to drop the stick. Gionson then drew his weapon and fatally shot him, firing three times, according to witnesses.

Tasi was within striking distance when Gionson fired, Police Chief Mark Mew said at a news conference.

"He kept coming and kept swinging," Mew said.

Gionson was cleared Wednesday after an investigation by the Alaska Attorney General's office determined he used an appropriate degree of force to address the threat.